A 27-year-old Pennsylvania man, who was behind the wheel of a SUV involved in a police chase that killed a Tamaqua woman, has been charged with vehicular homicide. District Attorney Dave Lupas, recently announced that multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, were filed against the Pennsylvania man.
The charges stem from the March 31 auto accident in which the SUV driven by the accused, crashed into a car driven by Stephanie Ryan.
Ryan sustained severe personal injuries and died on April 11 while at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia.
The Pennsylvania man was also charged with three counts of felony three accidents involving death or personal injury while not properly licensed, five misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, and a string of other charges.
According to investigators:
At about 1:45 a.m., March 31, West Hazleton police attempted to stop on red Jeep Grand Cherokee. The driver was spinning donuts in the middle of state Route 93, near Diamond Avenue. Police tried to stop the driver but he took off toward Hazleton and entered Interstate 81 at the Arthur Gardner Parkway.
Officers continued the pursuit and were about a half mile behind Miller when he left I-81 at the Hazleton exit on state Route 924, where he plowed into Ryan's Ford Focus, which was stopped at a traffic light.
Three passengers in the Jeep sustained numerous injuries. Ryan was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital and later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, where she later died.
Tests showed that the driver of the SUV had a blood alcohol level of .25 percent and had cocaine in his system at the time of the accident.
Reference:
"Driver in crash charged with vehicular homicide," Standard Speaker, April 2007.
